What Could've Been
by Miz Thang
Summary: A long, long time ago, during seasons one and four, there was a day that never happened. A day that was reversed. And since Buffy and Angel aren’t the center of everyone’s universe, let’s look at someone else in that day that never happened. Maybe…Faith?
1. Part One: Deep Into Her Soul

**What Could've Been**

**Notes/Summary: **A long, long time ago, during seasons one and four, there was a day that never happened. A day that was reversed. And since Buffy and Angel aren't the center of everyone's universe, let's look at someone else in that day that never happened. Maybe…Faith? Written for the IWRY ficathon. Requirements posted at the end. Divided into two parts.

**Part One: Deep Into Her Soul**

Giles held back from saying something he may or may not regret later, disbelieving that he was having this conversation with Buffy. "Human? Buffy, how did Angel become…I see. Yes, I'm sure it's _great_. You'll be back tomorrow, then? You won't be back? What do you mean, you won't be back? Moving to Los Angeles? Don't you think you should talk to everyone here before you make a decision as large as this? I see. That's enough, Buffy. Call me back when some sense has finally been knocked back into you."

He hung up the phone, cursing under his breath. This was exactly why he still questioned her choices half the time, little actions such as these. Buffy really truly did some undeniably stupid things, this being one of them. She wanted to leave her calling behind, all because Angel was human.

"And next they'll have a house in the suburbs with a manicured lawn, a white picket fence, two-point-five kids and a bloody dog," he muttered as the nurse gave him a sympathizing glance, not that he saw it. He was more interested in cleaning his glasses-an attempt not to toss his phone clear across the waiting room.

"Faith Lehane?" he asked, glancing up at her.

"Room 245." She replied. She hadn't seen the man in this section since the emergencies just hours before last year's graduation. She was surprised to see him visiting this girl, as the last time, he'd only been concerned about the blonde from what she could see. She watched him disappear down the hall and wondered what could've made him visit today.

Giles pushed open the door to Faith's room, taking in her pale skin and the bags under her eyes. He moved towards her, taking a seat in the only chair the room had and taking a moment to just watch her. His first thought was that Buffy did this to her. And then he thought that, in a way, they all had done it to her, though she certainly hadn't helped. He assumed it was all water under the bridge now; he had to worry about what would happen when she woke up, because he believed she would.

"It's occurring to me once more how differently things could have been for you, Faith." He started, sliding his seat closer. "I sometimes think that we may have been a bit biased when it came to you and Buffy, and I'm more than aware that Wesley had not been the right choice of a watcher to send to you and Buffy." He shifted even closer to her. "I believe that Roger Pryce put it in with Quentin Travers to have him given the opportunity. And, with evidence, I can say that he failed." He reached forward, taking her hand without a thought to the action.

"I never visited you before, but I am today. It's not merely because of Buffy's new thoughtless decision. It's also because I believe that you needed a chance to work for your own redemption, atone. If that is something you want. I believe you do. I believe everyone involved has apologies to make, not just you."

He let go, sitting back. "I just want you to wake up, Faith. There will be no getting past this until you do." He stared at her, studying her face for a moment. "Can you hear me, Faith? I _want_ you to wake up."

He stared at her for a moment longer, some part of him hoping she'd heard and would awake now at his request. When she didn't, he stood, fixing the chair and leaving the hospital room.

Her eyes fluttered.

-

"How long have you been sitting here?" Buffy asked, taking a seat next to Faith on the grass. At first it had seemed as if Buffy was going to stalk over and kill the Mayor, and then her, but something had changed. The atmosphere had lightened somehow and Buffy walked over peacefully, the Mayor respectfully giving them space to talk.

"You know how long. A few months." Faith replied. "I just can't seem to make myself get up. Either it'll be when I'm figured out, or it'll be when rage overcomes."

"Yeah. I get that feeling sometimes, the not getting up one." Buffy said. "Lucky me; I always manage to get up."

"Yeah. Lucky you." Faith remarked dryly. She frowned then, seeing a familiar figure spinning in a circle a few yards away as the suns rays shined down on him. "Is that-?"

"Angel? Yeah." Buffy said, still grinning. "We didn't even expect that."

"So then, you don't know how it happened?" Faith asked, curious and strangely happy for them.

"Actually, no. But then, it isn't really permanent anyway." Buffy said, tilting her head as she watched Angel with a small smile. "Twenty four hours left."

"How?" Faith asked.

"He asked for it." She replied. "Dawn's coming. I'm so excited."

Faith frowned. "Buffy, the sun's already out."

"What does that matter, Faith?" Buffy questioned. "She's still coming and I need to get ready. We need to prepare everyone so that they know her."

"Her?" Faith echoed, more than a bit confused. "Dawn's a she?"

"Dawn's my sister." Buffy said. "You don't remember her yet, but that's okay."

Suddenly they were in Buffy's house, in a bedroom specifically for a fourteen year old girl. She could've sworn this had been the storage room…

Faith spun to face Buffy. "How did you get a sister?"

"Some monks. They made her from me. I have to protect her. And I'll do what I have to. To keep her safe." Buffy said, pulling the sheet over the bed, Faith helping.

The brunette froze, looking up at the other slayer. "Counting down from five-four-oh, right?"

"Yeah." Buffy smiled beautifully. "You remembered."

"How can I forget?" Faith asked. "Giles came to see me today. I don't know how I know."

"You felt it." Buffy replied. "You felt him here, and he cared. So now you'll get better and take my place."

"Take your place?"

"Yeah. I'm going to stay in L.A. with Angel. I have to make sure he's okay there. Protect him…though that might mean you'll have to protect Dawn…"

She trailed off and they stood in silence for a moment. Then Buffy gave her a questioning look. "Did you hear him…Giles? Did you hear what he told you?"

Faith grinned this time, thinking about the good feeling she'd had as he'd talked. "Every single word, B."

-

"Are you ever going to wake up?" Wesley asked, giving her a sideways look.

"I don't think I'm ready yet, Wes." Faith responded. One blink and there she was. She was used to the scene changing on her though. "Do you think I'm ready?"

"No. You're right about that one." Wesley said. He waited a bet. "Your room's a prison."

"Yeah…kinda drab, right?" Faith touched the sheet. "But that's okay. I'll wake up soon and this'll just be a memory."

"You're a good slayer, Faith. But not like Buffy. You'll never be like Buffy." Wesley said and Faith opened her mouth to speak. "That's a good thing, Faith. I assure you. Mr. Giles is right, though. You deserve a second chance. Take it."

"I planned on it. Can't let them down again, can I?"

"No." Wesley stared at her. "You can't."

"Are you going to come with me?"

"No. But don't worry." Wesley smiled at her. It was full of warmth and it surrounded her, made her feel safe. She found herself smiling back as he said, "You're not alone. You're never alone."

Faith nodded, turning her back on him. Her steps were slow, deliberate, and she felt refreshed, renewed. She'd been given a second chance to prove her worth, to help. To do right by everyone. She wrapped her hand around the door knob and pulled it open, taking her first step out of her prison…and into a hotel.

A very, very nice hotel that she had no doubt whatsoever belonged to Angel. She turned in a slow circle, never taking her eyes off the clean walls and letting out a whistle to show her appreciation for the old building.

"Be yourself, Faith." Wesley said as she finally faced him, sitting on the counter. "That's all we want."

Faith grinned, just as a dark haired vampire appeared behind him, snapping at his unprotected neck. Faith's smile dropped instantly, alert and watching the danger. "Wes-"

"It's Drusilla, isn't it?" Wesley asked. Faith nodded dumbly as he remained calm. She didn't know the vampire personally, but stories were enough. "She's here for Angel, not me. I'm perfectly safe here."

"You are?" Faith asked, concerned.

"Yes. Now, Los Angeles isn't much of your concern."

"Then what is?"

"Sunnydale. Your hell mouth. Wake up and guard it."

-

The monitor beeped steadily, telling anyone that dared venture into the hospital room that the dark-haired girl was still alive, despite her appearance. No one outside of the middle-aged man that came by hours ago came near her door. Not unless they were high-ranking hospital personnel.

The clock hanging from the wall struck midnight and a stiff nurse entered the room. A close look at her hospital I.D. would prove counterfeit; she was an employee of the Watcher' Council, not Sunnydale Memorial. She barely contained her sneer as she checked the clipboard at the end of the bed and then the IVs, her back to Faith throughout all of this. Just her bad luck, that was.

Faith's eyes shot open, as if she was returning to life. Wesley's instructions still rang in her ears as if he'd really been present. She didn't sit up, able to sense the presence of another person in the room. Her vision was blurry, dark, but she knew she was in her hospital room. She heard the nurse curse as she dropped something at her side.

She relaxed, trying to think, trying to get her bearings. Her main priority was to get out of this building, and away from the nurse. She didn't trust something about that woman. She didn't even know that this woman was very much the enemy and working for the Council. All she had was her bad feeling.

A plan formed in her mind only a second before she made it happen. Quietly, she slid out of her bed, removing the bothersome IVs in her arm and surprising the woman by wrapping her right arm around her throat. The woman flailed, as Faith tightened her grip, hoping for the woman to pass out. She continued to struggle, not yet ready to give up consciousness before inevitably slumping against the slayer.

The woman fell out of her grasp, sliding to the floor silently. Faith grabbed her arm and began to roll the woman towards the bed. Within seconds, the fake nurse disappeared under it, and Faith took her leave, hurrying out the door.

Thankfully for her, it made no sound as it was pulled open. Faith paused, sticking her head out to find the hallway empty. She took a cautious step outside and then let the door slowly close behind her. She let out a deep breath in relief and made a run for the emergency exit.

It was employees only; a sign read so in glaring red and white. It was a locked door, but she gave a look around, solving her problem with a hard twist of the door knob. She hurried into the stairwell, racing down the stairs and further away from the chance of being caught. She took a look around the spacious area, then seeing a box of clothing in the corner. She figured it was their half-assed lost and found, and went over to it, desperate to change her clothing.

It turned out to be easy to find clothing in her size. A pair of grey sweatpants, and an orange top later, she dropped the hospital gown on the floor. She found a denim jacket, and slipped it on, knowing that she'd have to change her outfit later. Indefinitely.

It took her a while longer to sift through the pile and find a decent pair of socks and a pair of shoes, but she did, and then she left through the door that read emergency exit, taking her first breath of freedom in months.

-

The second time she had to break a lock was to enter the cold, dusty apartment she'd once called home. Had it really been less than six months ago that she'd stood around the spacious apartment, in awe as the Mayor explained things, and how it was hers? She couldn't help the smile that overcame her face at the thought of him and how he'd shown it to her. And then the night when he'd bought that dress. Only some odd hours, days, before graduation. She'd missed it.

The Mayor was dead. He had to be. Everything was the same as she remembered. There was no chaos, and he would've have never let her remain in a coma for so long. So she knew what had happened. He'd ascended and Buffy had killed him, saving the world again.

Thinking about Buffy only reminded her of her dream. She didn't remember the exact details of it. She couldn't. All she remembered was that for once, she hadn't had that loop of Buffy killing the Mayor and then her with her own dagger. It had been…peaceful. And she remembered a feeling of Giles being near, also contributing to her calmness.

_It's not Buffy's fault_, she thought to herself, venturing into new territory. Atonement. It felt weird to think…positively…of the other slayer, but not too much. It made things just a bit clearer.

Buffy wasn't her enemy. Faith had just made it that way and the mayor had made the feeling grow. He'd encouraged it. All Buffy had really wanted of her was to admit to all the guilt that she had locked away, to be human. And she hadn't let it out. She didn't know if she could even now. She felt not only the guilt for the Deputy Mayor she had accidentally killed, but also for all the people she purposely killed in the name of her first surrogate father.

But she'd cared about him. The Mayor. She'd cared about him, still did, and probably always would. But now, now she could see that he'd been wrong. He'd been evil. And she shouldn't have joined him. She shouldn't have gone that far, and hurt Buffy. And…

Xander. She'd been horrible to him, and she'd known how special it had been and she'd thrown him out her room, half naked. Guilt and shame filled her thoughts before she made the resolve to find him and apologize. Later.

She went to her armoire, searching though them for something wearable. That, and a look through her closet, had her dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans, a white wife beater and a denim jacket. She was finding new shoes when she caught a glimpse of her reflection.

She stared at herself, nearing the glass slowly. She memorized the paleness of her skin, and the darkness around her eyes. Her hair was limp and she looked half dead. She reached for her lipstick, bright red contrasting and bringing some color back to her face. She then applied mascara and eyeliner, hoping she looked okay.

Done with the attempt to liven herself, she continued to stare at her reflection, her eyes casting back an unwavering gaze that sank deep into her soul. She wasn't evil. She was a Vampire Slayer, a good guy. She fought for puppies and Christmas and all those innocent things in the world, and she'd never help to end the world ever again. And there was only one person to help her. Giles. He'd help her because Buffy had made some idiotic decision that involved Angel…not that Faith blamed her. The life of a Slayer. Not a long one despite all the super senses would suggest. So, Faith decided not to blame the older girl.

"Because it's not Buffy's fault."


	2. Part Two: It Wasn't Permanent

**What Could've Been**

**Notes/Summary: **A long, long time ago, during seasons one and four, there was a day that never happened. A day that was reversed. And since Buffy and Angel aren't the center of everyone's universe, let's look at someone else in that day that never happened. Maybe…Faith? Written for the IWRY ficathon. Requirements posted at the end. Divided into two parts. This is the second half, for your viewing pleasure.

**Part Two: It Wasn't Permanent**

When he entered his flat at ten that night, after having spent the rest of his day trying to do anything but stay at his flat (he did it an awful lot since being jobless), she was coming out of his kitchen. How she got in the house was anyone's guess, but with Spike managing it all the time, he wasn't really too surprised at the intrusion. She raised her eyebrow upon seeing him. "Giles. Have a good few months?"

"Faith." She idly wondered if he thought she couldn't see him angling for the stake in his waistband. She amused herself with the thought that he could be faster than her, and then that he must have believed she was a vampire. Had she said anything threatening yet, y'know, not that she planned on it or anything. She was just making a point.

"That's me. All awake and everything." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Now is it wrong of me to wonder why you're trying to get the stake when I haven't even threatened to kill you yet?"

"So that's why you've returned, Faith? For revenge?"

"No. But it's what you're thinking, isn't it? Big Bad Faith, awake from her coma and looking for a little bloodshed now that Good Angel Buffy is out of town with her newly human soul mate, Angel Wangel."

"You know about Angel?"

"She told me. In my coma. I talked to Wes too. And…I heard you. Not…not everything, but enough?"

Giles let his hand drop. "You hear-"

"Yeah. Um, thanks. For what you said." She looked at a spot just over his shoulder. "I…I-it means a lot to me."

"You're welcome, Faith." He removed his glasses. ""You'll have to forgive me if I'm not entirely convinced yet."

"I didn't expect you to, Giles. You and Wes said there's a slayer neede-" Faith didn't finish the rest of her sentence as something crashed through Giles' front window.

Something indeed. It was tall, with green slightly scaly skin, and dressed in the weirdest armor with a jewel in the center of its forehead. Faith got the feeling that she should know about theme, what they did. They were important, like really important.

Faith grinned. A demon. "Just what I need."

She jumped over Giles' coffee table to engage it as Giles skirted around the action to find the book he recognized the monster from. He flipped through it quickly, an "aha!" escaping his lips upon finding the entry.

Faith caught its foot and tossed the demon over the couch. She hopped over it and was knocked onto her back. The demon hovered over her and aimed its sword at her chest.

"Faith! The jewel in its forehead! It's a Mohra demon. They attack champions of the Power That Be."

"Like Slayers?" she asked, catching the blade with her feet and shoving them upwards to hit the demon in the face. She rolled over and flipped to her feet, yanking the sword away from the demon. She twirled it in the air before jabbing it through the jewel. It keeled over, dead.

Tired, exhausted and drained, she looked at Giles. "So?"

"Yes. Like you."

Faith didn't reply to that. "Do you think B and Angel had to deal with them?"

"It is possible." Giles returned to the book, his eyes lingering on the regenerative properties of Mohra demons. He'd found the source of angel's new humanity. He closed the book, thoughtful.

They stood in the room, surrounded by nothing but their thoughts. Faith broke it. "Giles?"

"Yes, Faith?"

"Would you mind taking me on a…a test drive?" she asked.

"Not at all. Tomorrow, I will have to call the others."

Faith didn't bother to tell him her opinions otherwise.

-

"There's something I should've told you." Faith started as they entered the cemetery.

Giles looked at her suspiciously. "What would that be?"

"I'm not going to be guarding the hell mouth for you after tomorrow."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"No problem. After the Scoob meeting-you all really need a name-tomorrow, I'm giving Sunnydale P.D. a little visit." Faith answered.

"You'll be turning yourself in." He looked away from her. "Arrested."

"Yeah. That's the whole point. Arrest kind of comes with admitting to being a wanted criminal."

"There will be no slayer to protect the hell mouth."

"The Council can kill me and get a new one."

"I don't find your humor contagious."

"Yeah, well, there aren't a lot of options. I'm turning myself in, Giles. Buffy and angel's game of House isn't permanent. She'll be back within the next week. And I'll be where someone like me belongs-jail."

Giles had nothing to say to that and therefore decided not to, keeping his opposing opinion to himself.

-

The clock on his desk read four minutes to nine when he finally entered his apartment. Buffy was waiting for him, pacing his apartment as if he'd greatly worried her. She looked up at him and relief flooded her face to see him.

"I'm guessing that expression isn't because they were all out of fresh OJ at the deli-" she paused when she saw that she wasn't cheering him up, as she expected. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened. - I just…"

Buffy decided on a different tactic. "Where have you been?"

"I went to see the Oracles. I asked them to turn me back." Angel answered.

She looked at him in disbelief. "What? Why?"

"Because more than ever, I know how much I love you."

She froze, her brain working overtime for her until she understood. But he couldn't have…they'd been fine before, why would he…? She backed away from him. "No. No, you didn't."

Angel followed her (because he had to make her understand). "And if I stayed mortal one of us would wind up dead, maybe both of us. You heard what Mohra said."

"Mohra is dead. We killed him."

"He said others would come."

"They always come. And they always will. But that's my problem now, not yours, remember?"

Angel shook his head. "No, I won't just stand by and let you fight, maybe die, alone."

"Then we fight together." She wanted this to work, Buffy. She wanted Angel to be human, and she wanted them to work. God, she'd give anything just for them to work.

"You saw what happened last night." Angel replied, though he wanted it to be as possible, if not more, for them to be. "If anything, I'm a liability to you. You take chances to protect me, and that's not just bad for you, it's bad for the people we were meant to help."

"So what?" Buffy asked, though what she really wanted to ask was if the day had really meant nothing to him. "You just took a whole twenty four hours to weigh the ups and downs of being a regular Joe and decided it was more fun being a superhero?"

-

"Faith, it's…it's nice that you wish to atone." Giles said. "I'm prepared to…discus your situation with Quentin Travers-"

"Make my record disappear?" Faith asked, giving Giles a slight smile. "I appreciate it, Giles, I really do. But, you know, killing demons won't make up for killing humans."

The demons came out of the bushes for them. Two large Mohra demons. "But for now?" she continued. "I'll enjoy it while it lasts."

She raced forward, ducking a sword and jabbing it in the gut. She saw the other attack Giles and felt a pang of worry for her ex-watcher.

She was brought back to reality by a punch to the face. "Ow. Bastard." She back handed the demon and then spun to kick it in the chest. The demon retaliated with three punches to her face that stunned her greatly. She tumbled back and then fell from the blow of an elbow to the face.

"Faith!"

Through bleary eyes, she saw a Mohra demon towering over Giles, sword directed at his chest. Oh, God, no.

"Giles!" She screamed in horror, pulling a dagger out the waist of her jeans. It flew through the air, embedding in the Mohra's jewel, but it was too late.

She knocked the second's feet from under it. "If it's the last thing I do."

-

Angel stared her; it was his turn to be disbelieving of her words. "You know that's not it. How can we be together if the cost is your life, or the lives of others?" Buffy didn't say anything, and only stared at him. Maybe, he could hope, maybe she was coming around.

"I know. I couldn't tell you. I wasn't sure - if I could do it if I woke up with you one more morning."

"I understand." Another pause. There were a lot of those going around. "So, what happens now?"

"The Oracles are giving us back the day, turning back time, so I can kill Mohra before his blood makes me mortal."

Buffy nodded. She could handle that. Easy-peasy. "When?"

Angel looked over at the clock. It read to be exactly nine o'clock. He new the exact time when Buffy had walked in. How could he not? "Another minute."

"A minute? No. No, it's not enough time!"

"We don't have a choice. It's done."

"How am I supposed to go on with my life knowing what we had? What we could have had?"  
And this, was the hard part for Angel. "You won't. No one will know but me."

Buffy's mind seemed to slow to a near-stop. "Everything we did."

"It never happened." Angel confirmed.

She shook her head. Denial. That was a blissful thing. A thing dreams were made of. "It did. It did. I know it did!" She put her hand over his heart. Underneath her hand, she could feel the rise and fall of his chest, she could almost feel his heart beating. "I felt your heart beat." _I still do._

"Buffy..."

They kissed. T felt quite mournful. They'd still love each other; after all, the feelings had started way before one minute after nine o'clock all those hours ago. But a chance like this? Would they ever have another one? It was very much doubtful. Buffy looked at the clock, and saw that the minute was almost up.

"No! Oh God. It's not enough time."

"Shh, please. Please." Angel had started crying too, and they clung to each other, because it wasn't forever. It wasn't permanent. "Please, please."

"No. I'll never forget. I'll never forget. I'll never forget. I'll never forget."

Of course, because that was the way things were going to go, she would.

-

Faith was pure poetry in motion. She was fuelled on by anger, by pain, by revenge. All she kept seeing was Giles being stabbed and dying. And he was lying not five feet away, his body cooling as she fought for her life. And that, that Giles was dead, really wasn't fucking fair.

A clock was ticking inside Faith's head and she heard Buffy's voice echoing in her head, telling her that it wasn't permanent. Angel's condition, him being human, it wasn't permanent. Something would undo all of this.

She slammed a stake into the jewel and watched the demon fall. She was triumphant. The world then seemed to tilt on her and spin. She fell on her but…right by Giles.

For a reason she didn't know or understand, she grabbed Giles' cold wrist to check his watch. The hands, they were moving backwards, time was reversing. _Time reversal_, Faith thought, _that was what Buffy meant. It wasn't even going to happen!_

"Not permanent…"

-

"You visited Angel, Buffy?" Giles asked with a roll of his eyes as he entered the hospital. No good could come of Buffy visiting Angel, he already knew. He waited for the drama to unfold, as was sure to." A Mohra demon? That's…and you left after that? Where are you now? My flat? I'll be right there, Buffy."

He gave the waiting nurse and apologetic look and backed away from the counter. The nurse watched him leave, and doubted she'd see him back to check on the comatose girl, Faith Lehane.

-

_Buffy draped the white sheet over her bed, the sun sunshine faithfully on her. She smoothed down the edges, taking a small whiff of the sheets. Wonderful._

"_They smell good, don't they?"_

"_What?" Faith looked up from smoothing the edges to Buffy._

_The blonde only smiled. "Clean sheets. Like summer."_

"_I wouldn't know." Faith replied dryly._

_Buffy's smile dropped like a hat. "Right. I forgot."_

"_I noticed."_

"_I-I wish I could stay, but…"_

"_Oh, you have to go." _After all_, Faith thought to herself, _this is a dream and the only one doing the never-ending sleep thing is me.

"_It's just with…"_

"_Little sis coming." Faith said knowingly. How did she know? "So much to do before she gets here."_

And in her hospital room, Faith dreamed. But there was no sunshine. Angel didn't dance in the sun and Buffy didn't give her cryptic messages.

_Buffy was feeling regret. And lots of it. She stood beside Faith at the foot of her bed and said, "Now I really have to-"_

_So go." Faith cut her off. "Don't let me jeep-" She stopped herself, hearing something. She didn't know what it was, but then…then…two drops of blood so red, staining the white sheets she'd just helped Buff with. To more drops followed after that. Whose blood was it?_

"_Damn." She cursed, and looked up at Buffy. "Just when we made it so nice." She straightened, turning from the sheets. She looked down at herself for a moment, before looking back up at Buffy. Why did she look so…blank?_

"_Are you ever going to take this thing out?" She pointed down to where Buffy held the handle of what had been Faith's large knife-the one Buffy herself had stabbed her with. Faith felt a bit nervous when Buffy gave no answer, only staring at her expressionlessly. Then she jerked the knife upwards, making Faith scream-only it was silent._

Drusilla didn't nip at Wesley's neck and Wesley didn't tell her she was a good slayer. Giles didn't talk to her, and she didn't hear him. Buffy repeatedly, many times a day, killed the mayor and fueled her hatred.

"_Do you think it's going to rain?" Faith asked. She was lying on a picnic blanket, barefoot, with clothes so different than her norm-her shirt was light blue and her skirt was a bright pink. She was picking at the grapes on her plate. On the other side of the blanket was the Mayor, eating a sandwich. _

"_Nonsense. It's a beautiful day." He answered. "Now eat your sandwich." He wiped at his mouth with a napkin, ever the cleanliness fanatic._

"_I don't know. It's just…it always seems like it starts raining right about now." _

"_You're too young and too pretty a girl to start wearing worry lines on your face." The mayor said. Something had caught his attention and he sat up. "Well, hey, hey, hey." It was a grass snaked that was slithering across the blanket. Faith frowned._

"_Hey there, little fella. I don't know where you belong, but it's not here with us." He set the snake down, back towards the grass and away from the blanket, chuckling a bit. "There you go." He then looked up at Faith. His surrogate daughter. "You see? There's nothing that's gonna spoil our time together. Who wants cheesecake?" _

_He gave a slight laugh and Faith smiled as he turned to open the picnic basket. The smile soon fell away to horror. There she stood, right in front of the Mayor, decked out in an all black ensemble and a long dark coat. Buffy._

"_No!" she screamed._

_Buffy swung the blade towards the Mayor's throat and he gagged. Before he could fall, she thrust the knife into his chest. She pulled it out, letting him fall. Her gaze fell on Faith. "I told you I had things to do."_

_Faith was terrified. Of Buffy. Of what she'd just done. The brunette began to back away, panicking as she attempted to crawl away. And Buffy continued to follow her. It was like all other times (because she wasn't ready yet, because things were different now). Buffy would catch up to her, kick her onto her back, sit on her, pinning her arms, and stab her (but one day, it would all change. One day, _Faith_ would stab _Buffy_, and rise, victorious, and _wake up_-and get the revenge she still needed)._

And Faith dreamed (if only they knew what could've been).

**Teh Stuffs**  
**Name/LJ user name:** Alixtii  
**Character/pairing you want focused on:** Faith  
**Kind of moment you want lost (self revelation, 'shipper, etc.):** Since she's starting out in her coma, self-revelation might be best.  
**Up to three other characters you want in the story:** Buffy, Wes, Giles (may all be either real or dream versions)  
**Up to four prompts/things to include:** Dawn foreshadowing, a mention of Drusilla, character death


End file.
